Air Pollution Monitoring on the London Underground

Hina Bokhari: More than 800 pollution monitors across 277 subway stations were installed in Seoul, South Korea, to provide real-time air quality updates. Will you commit to looking at adopting a similar approach in London to effectively monitor particulate matter on the London Underground network?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to tackling particulate matter on the London Underground network.
TfL’s monitoring of particulate matter on the network continues to show that dust levels remain below the required levels set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Monitoring results are published at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/environment-reports, with the most recent reports published in December 2021.This monitoring involved Dust monitoring being undertaken across 24 central London Underground (LU) train station platforms and ticket hall, as well as train operator monitoring within the cabs of eight London Underground train lines.
TfL is actively looking for solutions to provide enhanced information on particulate levels across the Tube network. Earlier this year, for instance, TfL started conducting additional local air quality measurements to help better target its cleaning activities.

Dogs on The Streets (DOTS)

Emma Best: After a meeting between the Deputy Mayor and TfL with Dogs on the Streets no satisfactory resolution was found in relation to difficulties operating in the expanded ULEZ area. Will you look again at how you can help support the Dogs on the Street charity to financially transition after the introduction of the ULEZ so they can continue their fantastic work?

The Mayor: I recognise the vital role that charities like Dogs on the Street (DOTS) play in our community, which is why my Deputy Mayor for Environment & Energy and senior officers from Transport for London (TfL) met them to discuss their situation and the options available. As with other charities, we have offered measures to support the switch to Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) compliant vehicles including scrappage funding when the scheme was still open and support to retrofit vehicles. While DOTS declined the potential solutions offered, TfL and my officers remain open to working with them to find a way forward.
It is vital that London’s filthy air is cleaned up to protect the health of Londoners. This is why there are very limited exemptions or discounts from the ULEZ. I have provided over £61m to help Londoners, including charities, scrap their older, more polluting vehicles and prepare for ULEZ expansion.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (15)

Elly Baker: Can you confirm that free travel for all Londoners aged under 18 and 60-65 will be met via the Congestion Charge income and the Council Tax precept in 2022/23? Can you confirm the cost of the concessions and the funding from each source that will be provided?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) forecasts that the cost of relevant travel concessions for 2022-23 is between £110 million and £130 million. The council tax increase in 2021-22 will bring in £46 million in 2022-23, leaving between £64 million and £84 million to be covered by projected Congestion Charge income. The recently introduced changes to the Congestion Charge should raise £60 million to £80 million.The Mayor will also hold a reserve of £62 million from the increase in council tax in 2022-23.

Sustainable Freight Delivery for Street Market Traders

Hina Bokhari: What support are you giving to initiatives like Fare City’s Cleaner Air Markets (CAM), in which goods, market traders and infrastructure are brought to existing markets using a combination of cargo bikes, cycles and some electric vehicles?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is working with businesses to ensure we recover from the pandemic in a sustainable way. One way TfL is doing this is by working to promote cycle freight as a zero-carbon alternative to traditional freight and developing a cargo bike strategy to be published by the end of the year.
Fare City’s Cleaner Air Markets (CAM) pilot is a welcome initiative. TfL and its partner organisations are keen to work with initiatives like CAM and can support through a range of initiatives designed to support business groups, decarbonise transport and promote the use of zero emission delivery methods. For example, TfL worked with Team London Bridge on the Bikes for Business project to promote cargo bikes. Between February 2019 and February 2020 cargo bike usage increased by over 125% in some areas within the London Bridge Business Improvement District.
TfL has a sustainable deliveries programme that is aimed at small and medium businesses (see 2022/0964). We have assisted several businesses with cargo bike trials and continue to provide this support.

West Hampstead Underground Station

Caroline Pidgeon: What is TfL doing to prioritise step free access at West Hampstead London Underground station as part of the O2 Centre development?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has engaged with the London Borough of Camden to ensure that their planning policy for the area (West End Lane to Finchley Road Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) prioritises opportunities to create step-free access and deliver station capacity enhancements at West Hampstead station. In addition, we have also asked them to explore the feasibility of a potential new link into Finchley Road station through the new development. TfL has given pre application advice highlighting that developer contributions would be sought for West Hampstead station, as is reasonable and proportionate and in line with the SPD and having regard to strategic planning priorities. The application for the O2 centre is now under consideration by the London Borough of Camden. Any upgrades to either station would be dependent on reaching agreement with the Government on long-term capital funding.

ULEZ expansion (5)

Leonie Cooper: What are the projections when ULEZ expands for the decrease in emissions for the Clapham junction area?

The Mayor: Estimates of changes in emissions as a result of the proposed further expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide are in progress. They will be provided in the consultation materials when the consultation commences in May this year.

Tube dust on the London Underground

Hina Bokhari: Further to your reply to Question 2021/2470, please state when in 2022 the short-term report by Imperial College London on sickness absence caused by tube dust will be published.

The Mayor: The short-term study, “Dust Sampling Research Study to understand the potential health impacts on London Underground Workers” is currently in progress. Data collection has commenced, which includes reviewing sickness absence records and dust monitoring to determine whether there is any association between employment role, tube dust exposure and absence. At this stage there is no evidence that sickness absence is caused by exposure to tube dust.
Once completed, the study will require academic review and validation before publication. I therefore cannot give you an exact date when it will be published, but I anticipate that this will be towards the end of 2022.

Particulate Matter on the London Underground

Hina Bokhari: What actions have you taken so far to tackle particulate pollution on the London Underground network?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to tackling particulate matter on the London Underground (LU) network. This includes acting across a range of areas, including monitoring, trials, cleaning and research.
Monitoring of particulate matter on the network continues to show that dust levels remain below the required levels set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Monitoring results are published on: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/environment-reports, with the most recent report published in December 2021.
Around £60 million is spent every year on cleaning the LU network. In 2016, cleaning practices were enhanced to reduce Tube dust. Following trials in 2019, the use of vacuum back-pack cleaners with specially adapted filters was incorporated into cleaning regimes. 10km of tunnel cleaning is undertaken each month using this method. In addition, earlier this year TfL started making local use of hand-held dust monitors to help better target cleaning.
TfL has also commissioned two academic studies from Imperial College to look at potential health impacts associated with Tube dust. The first of these reports is due to be published in late 2022.

Campaign to Tackle Unacceptable Attitudes Towards Women

Caroline Pidgeon: I very much welcome your new campaign, utilising male celebrities to speak directly to men and boys in London to tackle unacceptable attitudes towards women. Can you please provide details of the specialist organisations you have worked with to develop the messaging for this campaign?

The Mayor: My new Violence Against Women and Girls campaign, “Have a Word” has been extremely well received since launch, with positive feedback from Londoners, the VAWG sector, and media alike.
The campaign was planned and developed in partnership with a pro bono agency, with significant input and collaboration from MOPAC and the VAWG sector. This collaborative process brought together leading experts from communications backgrounds as well as VAWG policy delivery, through a series of workshops to ensure relevant insights were shared and discussed throughout. In addition, the GLA Marketing Campaigns team commissioned bespoke research with the target demographic (men and boys in London) to ensure the campaign was truly insight and data driven, to deliver maximum impact.
Below are the various organisations and internal teams that supported the development of the campaign in different capacities.
GLA Intelligence (Research)
MOPAC - VAWG team (Insight)
VAWG Sector and Expert Reference Group which included 47 sector organisations (Insight)
MOPAC VAWG Board, which includes 3 VAWG sector representatives (Insight)
Ogilvy UK (Creative messaging development and behavioural science insights)
2CV (Research)
Wavemaker (Research)
Since launching, the campaign page has received over 7,400 unique page views, with a very long dwell time of 9 minutes, demonstrating deep engagement with our educational content. The video has achieved over 10 million views in launch week across social media, making this our strongest performing campaign video in GLA history. The film has also been shared by over 100 influencers and social media accounts, including London’s football and rugby clubs, international sporting organisations like Fifa, and well-known male influencers such as Gary Lineker and actor Will Poulter.

Variations to the Silvertown Road Tunnel contract

Siân Berry: Two variations to the Silvertown Road Tunnel contract have already been made and detailed on the Transport for London (TfL) contracts listing. Are these the only variations to the contract to date, and what process was followed in making them?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) follows its standard commercial governance process in making any contract variations, and that applies to the Silvertown Tunnel Project Agreement. To date there have been five contract variations (Changes) covering matters such as an innovative temporary construction approach that removed a potential TfL liability for future compensation claims from property developers.
Such variations are not uncommon on projects such as this given the scale and long-term nature of their delivery. There is still further work to come, but the low level of variations to date demonstrates good procurement and commercial management of the Silvertown Tunnel project by TfL.

Leaseholders

Leonie Cooper: What more can you do to help leaseholders - with councils like Wandsworth - that give such a short repayment time for works done on their property?

The Mayor: While I have no powers to set terms between freeholders and leaseholders, I have long lobbied government for leasehold reform and for the changes to make commonhold a viable tenure for London. For freeholders, the recovery from leaseholders of reasonable expenditure on works to property is protected in current law. When considering the reasonableness of charges for major works, landlords should consider the financial impact on tenants, taking into account, for example, whether the work could be done in stages to reduce the financial impact. Furthermore, social landlords are directed to apply additional discretion, under certain circumstances, to reduce service charges for works of repair, maintenance or improvement.
I expect all GLA investment partners in my Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 to sign up to my Service Charges Charter and encourage other freeholders and landlords to also sign up. One of the requirements of the Charter is for housing providers to have a published policy on service charge repayment options for leaseholders experiencing financial hardship, including where increases in their service charge have contributed to their situation.

ULEZ Cameras and the Police (1)

Krupesh Hirani: While the primary aim of CCTV is to monitor and enforce the ULEZ extension stretching to the North Circular Road, can the cameras also be used to aid police investigations? What agreement is currently in place to allow this to happen?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) maintains a network of cameras using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to enforce the Congestion Charge, the Low Emission Scheme, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the Direct Vision Standard. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) currently receives ANPR data from cameras installed prior to the expansion of the ULEZ and is assessing whether it is necessary and proportionate for them to receive additional data from the new network of cameras. As part of this, the MPS has carried out a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) which, along with a new Mayoral Delegation and Direction, will be needed before any data from the new expanded ULEZ camera network is shared with the MPS. The data to be shared will be limited to that required for policing purposes and will be shared securely, with the MPS ensuring access to it is restricted internally.
This process will demonstrate compliance with data protection legislation, the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice and the national policing standards for the deployment of ANPR cameras.

London-wide ULEZ

Tony Devenish: Can you confirm whether making the ULEZ London-wide was the only measure presented to you to help improve air quality? If not, what other measures were presented?

The Mayor: On 18 January 2022, I announced that given the urgency of the triple threat of the climate crisis, the damaging impact of toxic air pollution and congestion in the capital, I was considering a number of policies that could be ready within the next few years to further reduce emissions.
The options that were announced as under consideration in January were:
In weighing up the different proposals, the rising cost of living was a key consideration. This meant looking for a scheme that would have the biggest effect on reducing emissions and congestion relative to the potential financial impact on Londoners as a whole. After examining the science, studying the data and carefully considering the wider economic context, I decided the preferred option was to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide to the London LEZ boundary in 2023, subject to a public and stakeholder consultation.

Most unreliable bus service in London

Caroline Pidgeon: On the 4 March 2022 in an LBC interview you stated that the “most unreliable bus in London is the single decker that relies on the Blackwall tunnel”, which is similar to the statement you also made at the London Assembly Plenary on the 10 June 2021. However, the most recent data published by Transport for London (TfL) shows that eight routes are as unreliable as the 108 or worse, and at the time of your statement on the 10 June 2021, TfL’s published data (Route Results for London Bus Services 09 January 2021 to 31 March 2021 Fourth Quarter 2020-21) showed that the excess waiting time for the 108 bus route was listed as 0.6 minutes, and that across London 85 other bus routes had a higher excess waiting time than this. How do you justify your continued absolute statements relating to the reliability of the 108 bus route? Will you withdraw these inaccurate statements?

The Mayor: Reliability of bus routes is measured quarterly and can vary significantly, and this has been especially true during the pandemic. In the current quarter, route 108 has had the eighth worst excess wait time (EWT) of London bus routes. My answer to question 2021/0913 provides the 10 routes with the highest excess wait time in the entire period from the first quarter of 2018-19 to the third quarter of 2021-22. Route 108 does not fall in this list for the averaged period but that does not mean it is not consistently one of the most unreliable in London.
EWT targets for bus routes are set according to their specific circumstances and what it is realistic for them to achieve. It is also important to note that the bus schedules themselves are set to account for typical conditions along the route. This means that the high EWT target for the 108 bus is in addition to the considerable expected delays from congestion that are already built into the schedule. In developing the Silvertown Tunnel scheme, TfL found that for the 108, the northbound end-to-end journey takes an additional 20 minutes in the morning peak compared to the late evening and the southbound journey an additional 15 minutes.
The poor reliability of the 108 is in no small part due to daily congestion and the poor reliability of the Blackwall Tunnel. The Silvertown Tunnel scheme will effectively eliminate congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel, improve its reliability and ensure resilience to the cross-river road network during any incidents. Combined with a transformative new cross-river bus network, TfL will be able to encourage people to cross the river by public transport wherever possible. Better local bus services are one of the key benefits of the scheme, with new double deck zero emission bus routes providing quicker and more reliable journeys across the river.
I make no apology for highlighting the inadequacy of public transport reliability in this part of London and being clear to Londoners about the wider benefits that will be delivered by relieving congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel.

Data on most unreliable bus services in London

Caroline Pidgeon: Using the quarterly data from TfL since the first quarter of 2018-19, please publish a table showing the aggregated 10 worst bus services in terms of excess waiting times, listing the aggregated average wait for each bus service.

The Mayor: The table below shows the 10 bus routes with the highest excess wait time aggregated for the entire period between the first quarter of 2018-19 and the third quarter of 2021-22. Transport for London (TfL) is working with the operators to try and improve performance.
The average wait time for each of these bus routes is calculated by adding the scheduled wait time to the excess wait time, which is the additional time the passenger waits over and above the scheduled wait time. All values are rounded to two decimals.
In the attachment, the excess wait time for these 10 routes is provided separately for each quarter between the first quarter of 2018-19 and the third quarter of 2021-22.
Route
Scheduled wait time (min)
Excess Wait Time (min)
Average wait time (min)
13
3.86
1.51
5.37
452
5.42
1.49
6.90
70
6.12
1.42
7.54
28
5.29
1.39
6.68
220
4.38
1.35
5.74
W15
4.76
1.29
6.05
328
5.12
1.24
6.36
E3
4.57
1.18
5.75
18
2.78
1.17
3.95
205
4.80
1.16
5.95

The Mayor: 0913 - attachment Data on most unreliable bus services in London.pdf

Bus lane Trial

Elly Baker: Following MQ 2021/2686 can you update me on the trial allowing NHS patient transport vehicles and non-blue-light ambulances into bus lanes in central London?

The Mayor: On Monday 21 February 2022, a trial allowing non-blue-light ambulances to use selected south London bus lanes began in partnership with Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust. The trial will be used to measure the benefits to patients and the NHS Trust, and TfL will consider those benefits in the context of any impacts on bus lane operations and road safety.It is too soon for any conclusions to be drawn from the trial, which is intended to run for 12 months. Regular review meetings are being held, including with the NHS trust and other key stakeholders to monitor the trial.

TfL Funding for Islington (1)

Emma Best: How much TfL funding for School Streets/People Friendly Streets/Low Traffic Neighbourhoods has been given to Islington?

The Mayor: During the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years, the London Borough of Islington has been allocated £958k by Transport for London (TfL) for schemes that have either directly implemented, or have supported, School Streets or Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (also known as “People Friendly Streets”) within the borough. Note that the figure for funding in the 2021/22 financial year is based on the information TfL holds at the time of drafting, as the financial year has not yet closed.

ULEZ expansion cost

Tony Devenish: Can you confirm how much it will cost to make the ULEZ London-wide?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is currently in the process of developing and refining its cost estimates for the proposed scheme through an analysis of the potential scope, consideration of the outturn costs for comparable schemes, and through a detailed engagement with its supply partners. TfL will keep its estimate under review and continue to refine the numbers as they progress towards delivery.

TfL’s Letting Processes (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: How many properties owned by Transport for London (TfL), which can be rented by commercial businesses and retailers, are currently empty?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) continuously looks to improve its estate, which means there are always some units vacant due to refurbishment. Currently, there are 169 units under refurbishment. In addition, 88 vacant units are under offer to new customers. Excluding those categories, there are 194 units currently available for leasing across the whole estate. The vacancy rate is comparable to market void levels as measured by MSCI, the leading provider of real estate market insight.
TfL has prioritised supporting its existing customers during the pandemic. At the outset of the pandemic, TfL was the first major landlord to announce rent relief measures for all small and medium enterprises. The TfL Property Management team has been in regular contact with its customers during the pandemic and TfL continues to offer targeted support to its tenants to meet their specific needs.
As London begins to recover, TfL is focused on continuing to support the thousands of businesses already on its estate while helping new customers join.

TfL Bus Stops and Driveways (4)

Len Duvall: Constituents report being seriously inconvenienced by bus drivers parking across their drives for lengthy periods and refusing to move when asked to. What action will TfL take to support Londoners who are unable to leave their driveways due to TfL buses stopping for more than a drop-off period?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) would encourage any constituents who experience buses parking across their driveways for prolonged periods of time to provide specific details to TfL Customer Services so that the matter can be investigated with the relevant bus operator.
TfL Customer Services can be contacted by calling 0343 222 1234 or through its online contact form: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-bus-staff
Please also see my responses to Mayor’s Questions 2022/1088, 2022/1089 and 2022/1090.

TfL and Overnight Works (1)

Len Duvall: Constituents are complaining about overnight roadworks and resurfacing taking place along the Bromley Road in Lewisham. No vibration dampening equipment is being used by TfL’s contractors and no notification was sent to residents. Is this standard practice for TfL nightworks?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) carries out resurfacing work to maintain its road network in a good state of repair. TfL and its contractors take steps to ensure noise is kept to a minimum, for example through the use of noise barriers and modern plant, but some noise is often unavoidable. However, working hours are always agreed in advance with the local borough and the noisiest works are normally undertaken before midnight, to minimise disruption to neighbouring properties. I am sorry for the disruption caused to residents of Bromley Road but am pleased to report that these works completed as planned on 20 March. Notification of the works was provided through 4,000 letters to local residents, road-side signage and visits by door to door liaison officers ahead of the works.

ULEZ Expansion Consultation (1)

Emma Best: Will you commit to consulting with outer London small businesses on the impact of the roll-out of any further ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Yes, I will. Outer London small businesses are amongst the stakeholders that I want to hear from through the consultation.
To ensure a high level of public and stakeholder participation, Transport for London (TfL) will carry out a ten-week consultation and deliver a comprehensive promotional campaign to raise awareness. This will include adverts in the press, as well as digital and radio advertising.
TfL will also work directly with London’s boroughs, community groups and local businesses to ensure they are aware of the consultation. I would also encourage every Assembly Member to reach out to their constituents to encourage them to respond.

London Fashion Week Grant Agreement

Caroline Pidgeon: Will you publish a copy of the latest grant agreement between the GLA and the British Fashion Council (which runs London Fashion Week)? Does this agreement contain clauses in relation to the health and diversity of models?

The Mayor: Since 2011, successive mayors have funded British Fashion Council to retain and develop London’s position as global fashion capital.
As set out in the grant agreement, British Fashion Council supports models working at London Fashion Week by delivering a model zone which includes access to a private relaxation space, healthy food and drink, and services such as mental health support. British Fashion Council publishes advice for models and highlights these services in advance of the shows.
In September 2021, the British Fashion Council announced its new partnership with 50:50 The Equality Project, an initiative created by the BBC for the media industry, to monitor diversity of those working at London Fashion Week including models. This is alongside a range of activities the organisation is delivering to improve diversity through its Institute for Positive Fashion.
The GLA’s British Fashion Council funding agreement can be found in the appendix.

The Mayor: 2022-0544 BFC Grant Agreement-21-22-Signed.pdf

ULEZ Expansion Consultation (3)

Emma Best: Will you commit to consulting with disabled Londoners and associated charities in the roll-out of any further ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to question number 2022/1191.

ULEZ Expansion Consultation (2)

Emma Best: Will you commit to consulting with outer London charities and small businesses in the roll-out of any further ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Please see my answer to question number 2022/1191.

London Fire Brigade - Procurement

Susan Hall: Can the Mayor set out when Londoners will see improvements in LFB procurement as this issue has been highlighted during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry?

The Mayor: As part of delivering London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) Transformation Delivery Plan, a single plan for the Brigade’s Procurement team has been developed. The plan includes actions from MOPAC audits, learning from previous procurements and Grenfell Tower recommendations to track the team’s improvement. In 2020 the department’s structure was reviewed and revised to align teams to specific categories of spend, which enables them to build specialist knowledge and relationships. A focused training plan for the department is being developed which will improve subject matter expertise and knowledge sharing. LFB’s interim Assistant Director for Procurement and Commercial is carrying out an assessment of the department which will inform the department’s future strategy.

TfL’s Letting Processes (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: What is the average turnaround time from initial agreement to fully letting commercial properties on the TfL network? Please also provide the shortest and the longest time it has taken to complete a let over the last 5 years.

The Mayor: The time taken to put a lease in place is dependent on the requirements of customers. Transport for London (TfL), after discussing their requirements, forecasts how long it may take from agreement of commercial terms to completing a lease agreement.
Typically, this takes between three and six months, subject to the individual fit-out and the customer providing the required information. In some cases, for example, where the property is subject to change of use that requires planning consent, this can take 12 months or more. During the pandemic, it has taken longer to conclude some leasing agreements, largely due to market uncertainty. However, growing numbers of units under offer are being leased within three to six months.
At specific locations, TfL works with short-term lettings specialists Appear Here. Appear Here can arrange new lettings within days. These lettings will often be for a month or less.

Works at Holborn Gyratory

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council during the month of February in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists ?

The Mayor: Works to implement cycling safety improvements at the Southampton Row/Theobalds Road junction continued on site during February 2022, delivering the measures outlined in my previous answer Mayor’s Question 2021/4782. New traffic islands are largely complete, footways have been lifted where necessary, and inspection and excavation of traffic signal ducting chambers has been completed, in advance of the cabling works. Transport for London and Camden Council have continued to work together to manage the network during the construction phase, to minimise disruption to all road users and arrange any necessary bus diversions.
Following yet another tragic death at the Holborn Gyratory on Tuesday 2nd March, TfL are working hard with Camden Council to restart the wider project to make all parts of the gyratory safer. Some funding has now been allocated to this project following the most recent funding agreement with the Government.

Digital Media Investigators

Shaun Bailey: How many Digital Media Investigators does the Met Police have?

The Mayor: As of March 2022, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is in the process of recruiting and training 60 Digital Media Investigators (DMIs).

ULEZ (1)

Emma Best: How much will expanding the ULEZ to include all London Boroughs cost?

The Mayor: Please see response to MQ2022/1293.

ULEZ (6)

Emma Best: How many vehicles on average are being charged each week or each day for entering the ULEZ?

The Mayor: Transport for London publishes this information in a quarterly fact sheet that is available under the Finance, Operations and Performance section of their Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) documents and reports webpage:
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone#on-this-page-7
From the ULEZ expansion date on 25 October 2021 to 31 December 2021, 43,920 charges were paid by chargeable vehicles each day, on average. Over the same period, an average of 8,235 penalty charge notices were issued each day.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (2)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 refers to, “Delivery of further operating efficiencies of at least £300m in 2021/22 through appropriate revenue sources and/ or cost saving initiatives”. However, the 25 February agreement says, “TfL will continue to provide periodic monitoring of the £400m in year savings included in their revised budget for 2021/22”. Can you confirm when the £300m in savings became £400m in savings for 2021/22 and what reasons the Government gave for the increase?

The Mayor: In period 5 Transport for London reported an expected full year savings / operating efficiencies figure of £400m to the Department for Transport (DfT). This figure was used by the DfT as the basis for updating the savings/operating efficiencies in the current funding agreement.

Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for TfL (8)

Elly Baker: The Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement for Transport for London (TfL) for the period to 11 December 2021 says, “TfL will commit to set aside at least £100m within the 2021 Funding Period”. Given the deals were rolled over, can you confirm how much funding has been set aside between 11 December 2021 and 25 February 2022?

The Mayor: The extensions to the extraordinary funding and financing agreement varied the 2021 Funding Period to cover 29 May 2021 to 25 February 2022. They also maintained the conditions originally set out in original settlement letter dated 1 June 2021, including the condition to set aside at least £100m for healthy streets and active travel programmes.
Transport for London (TfL) has met all the conditions to date set in the 1 June 2021 settlement letter, including setting aside at least £100m for healthy streets and active travel programmes. As the extensions did not provide any additional grant payments, TfL did not increase the amount from the £100m originally set aside.

Job Creation Targets

Shaun Bailey: What is the target number of jobs are you aiming to create in London during this Mayoral term? Please give a breakdown by industry, borough and through which mayoral scheme.

The Mayor: Protecting and creating jobs and supporting more Londoners into good work are top priorities for my administration as we focus on London’s recovery from the pandemic. There are many different aspects to job creation from developing infrastructure, affordable workspace, business support programmes and other foundational arrangements that enable businesses to set up and grow, through to promoting London internationally to secure Foreign Direct Investment, as well as investing in careers advice, skills and employability support for Londoners. Work across the GLA supports the full range of this activity with a plethora of programmes focusing on different industries as well as thematic areas such as markets and high streets.
In addition to the direct work of the GLA, we are also working closely with a wide range of partners to create and protect jobs across London and to make these accessible to Londoners of all backgrounds. This includes work via the London Recovery Board and the anchor institutions network.
For all of these reasons it is not possible to provide a breakdown of job creation anticipated over this term.

New Street Traffic Scheme

Tony Devenish: During the Covid pandemic, TfL introduced an experimental scheme that banned all cars, taxis and delivery vehicles from New Street in the City of London on weekdays between 7am and 7pm, without written notice to the residents of New Street. Despite many residents being deeply unhappy about this, TfL now wishes to make this scheme permanent.

The questions within TfL’s consultation make it impossible to draw attention to the impact of the scheme on New Street. Residents favour the northbound bus gate being moved 75m north so that New Street is excluded. They note that all the objectives of the scheme would still be met without denying access to the residents of New Street to their homes, since New Street is a no through road.

Will you agree to move the bus gate or, at the very least, poll all the residents of New Street on that proposal and agree to abide by the majority view?

The Mayor: In January 2022, TfL introduced an experimental scheme, based on the same principles of the temporary scheme, to understand the benefits of traffic restrictions in delivering long-term sustainable transport objectives and to understand any disadvantages arising from these changes. Due to safety and access considerations, there are limited places where bus gates can be located; TfL designers have considered the best locations which enable vehicles to leave the route safely, thus avoiding passing through the bus gates or undertaking dangerous manoeuvres.
This scheme has been introduced under an experimental traffic order and no decision has been taken on whether to retain the scheme permanently at the current time. A public consultation has been launched to gather the views of the wider public and stakeholders on the experimental scheme. The consultation survey is available on TfL’s Have Your Say website and allows respondents to comment on the scheme or respond in writing. TfL encourages residents of New Street to make their views known through the consultation. Once the consultation has finished TfL will review the issues raised to decide how best to move forward.

TfL Bus Stops and Driveways (3)

Len Duvall: What guidance is given to bus operators and bus drivers to ensure that inconvenience to those whose driveways are blocked by TfL bus stops is minimised?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) does not provide specific guidance to bus drivers about dwelling at stops across driveways. However, TfL expects drivers to avoid causing any unnecessary obstruction to other road users and to avoid idling. As you’d expect, TfL also asks drivers to provide sufficient time for all customers to board safely, particularly elderly passengers, passengers with small children, wheelchair users and mobility-impaired people.
TfL works constantly with bus operators to ensure that their schedules have the optimum, but appropriate amount of running time and TfL provides stand space at the end of routes so that the need for pausing on route is minimised.
Please also see my responses to Mayor’s Questions 2022/1088 and 2022/1089.

ULEZ expansion (2)

Leonie Cooper: What are the projections when ULEZ expands for the decrease in emissions for Wimbledon town centre?

The Mayor: Estimates of changes in emissions as a result of the proposed further expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide are in progress. They will be provided in the consultation materials when the consultation commences in May this year.

ULEZ expansion (1)

Leonie Cooper: What are the projections when ULEZ expands for the decrease in emissions for Tooting High street?

The Mayor: Estimates of changes in emissions as a result of the proposed further expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide are in progress. They will be provided in the consultation materials when the consultation commences in May this year.

ULEZ expansion (4)

Leonie Cooper: What are the projections when ULEZ expands for the decrease in emissions for Morden Town Centre?

The Mayor: Estimates of changes in emissions as a result of the proposed further expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide are in progress. They will be provided in the consultation materials when the consultation commences in May this year.

ULEZ expansion (3)

Leonie Cooper: What are the projections when ULEZ expands for the decrease in emissions for Putney High street?

The Mayor: Estimates of changes in emissions as a result of the proposed further expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide are in progress. They will be provided in the consultation materials when the consultation commences in May this year.

Defining ‘obsolete’ homes for grant purposes

Siân Berry: A constituent has written to me concerning the fact that, in the most recent round of GLA affordable housing grants, the concept of ‘obsolete’ homes has been introduced. The Homes for Londoners: Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 documentation says about this: “36. The Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 provides funding for estate regenerationprojects where thegrant is used for additional homes. Funding will not be available forunits that replace homes that have been,or will be, demolished. Where homes havebecome obsolete the GLA will consider funding thesereplacement homes in exceptional circumstances, and only as part of a scheme that will increase the numberof homes overall.” What definition and criteria does the GLA use for ‘obsolete’ homes and how many units of social housing have been determined to be ‘obsolete’, and therefore given grant to cover their replacement, since 2021? Please provide this information in table format per borough.

The Mayor: An obsolete home is defined as one where an affordable home is no longer considered by the landlord to be capable for letting for long term tenancies for reasons pertaining to condition, type or building standards, regulations or safety. The replacement of obsolete homes in the 21- 26 Affordable Housing Programme will only be funded when they are part of a project that also delivers a net increase in affordable housing CFG – Glossary
The below table shows the number of obsolete homes that have been given grant from my 2021-26 programme by borough (NB the borough is not necessarily the housing provider that has bid for funding).
Location
Number of obsolete homes
Barnet
54
Camden
325
Ealing
110
Enfield
41
Hounslow
65
Lambeth
112
Lewisham
71
Richmond upon Thames
24
Westminster
24
RB Kensington & Chelsea
182
Grand Total
1,008

Emergency Works in Holborn

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the tragic death of a cyclist in the Holborn area on 3 March 2022, what urgent further works are being carried out to make this area safe for cyclists?

The Mayor: I was devasted to hear about the tragic death of Shatha Ali on 1 March after a collision with an HGV at High Holborn/Kingsway. Making London’s roads safer is one of my top priorities. Any death or serious injury on our roads is completely unacceptable, and I am committed to doing everything possible to eliminate this suffering.
Transport for London (TfL) is supporting the London Borough of Camden (LBC) to make safety improvements to the junction further north on the Holborn gyratory, where another cyclist was tragically killed last August.TfL also previously funded work with LBC to design a transformational plan for improvements to the whole area, but uncertainly around TfL’s funding due to the pandemic forced this work to be paused.However, in the latest Government funding settlement, TfL has been able to ring-fence funding for both further short-term improvements at the Kingsway junction, and additional design work on longer-term proposals for the gyratory. Nonetheless, TfL urgently needs long-term capital funding to provide certainty that future improvements can be delivered.

Sudbury Town Underground Station

Caroline Pidgeon: What are your current plans for Sudbury Town Underground Station car park and will you commit to full consultation with local residents and community groups on any proposals?

The Mayor: Sudbury Town station car park is one of the least used car parks on Transport for London’s (TfL’s) estate and TfL continues to consider future uses to help tackle London’s housing crisis.
TfL is committed to engaging with the community and local stakeholders as well as with Brent Council as plans develop for the site. TfL will ensure it keeps the community updated as the considerations progress.

Piccadilly Line

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the opening of Crossrail to serve Heathrow, is any consideration being given to rebalancing the Piccadilly service so that people on the branch serving Alperton, Sudbury and beyond receive a fair and improved service?

The Mayor: While the Elizabeth line will bring huge transport benefits to London, the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line serves a significant area of west London not served by the Elizabeth line, including the major town centre of Hounslow.
The Piccadilly line service divides evenly at Acton Town to both branches at the busiest weekday peak times, when the demand split is 67 per cent on the Heathrow branch, and 33 per cent on the Rayners Lane branch. At other times, two Heathrow trains operate for each train on the Rayners Lane branch (excluding trains to Northfields only), when demand is split 74 per cent to 26 per cent.
Transport for London keeps London Underground services under review to ensure optimum use is made of available resources and will monitor the Piccadilly line service as the Elizabeth line opens to Heathrow. However, no material change to the proportion of passengers to each of branches is expected.

Building safety in Hillingdon

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide a breakdown of how many buildings in Hillingdon are now under a simultaneous evacuation policy due to: a) unsafe cladding, b) non-cladding concerns, c) both?

The Mayor: As of 14 February 2022, London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded 16 buildings in the borough of Hillingdon with a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place. The figures can changeon a daily basiswhen interim measures are required, or a building is remediated and no longer requires the interim measures.
Of the 16, a) 14 were primarily because of cladding (none were due to ACM cladding and 14 due to other, non-ACM cladding issues), and b) 2 were primarily because of other fire safety defects.
LFB’s monitoring database records the reason premises have moved to simultaneous evacuation in case of fire. This is recorded according to the primary matter of fire safety concern at the premises. Further details are held on separate systems for operational response purposes which accords with national practice. For the London Borough of Hillingdon cases where both unsafe cladding and other defects exist at the same time are not recorded as a separate category.

ULEZ Expansion Scrappage Scheme

Keith Prince: If the scrappage scheme could not be properly funded, would that undermine plans to expand the ULEZ further?

The Mayor: Helping charities, small businesses, disabled people and low-income Londoners with as big a scrappage scheme as is feasible is part of my proposal for a Londonwide Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Building on my experience from the previous scheme, I would look to target support to help those Londoners and businesses who need it most, informed by the Integrated Impact Assessment.
I continue to work alongside Mayors and local authorities from across the country to seek the national scheme we so badly need, especially as other cities across the UK bring forward proposals for Clean Air Zones and receive scrappage support from Government. In London we are using our own resources to do a job that really should be led by Government through a targeted national scrappage scheme. If this national scheme is not forthcoming, I have requested specific funding from Government for a local London scheme.

Lessons from October's ULEZ Expansion (1)

Keith Prince: Are you comfortable that 5 months has been enough time to consider the impact and assess what lessons should be learnt from October’s ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Even prior to the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) being expanded to inner London, Londoners were taking action to clean up their vehicles in response to Transport for London’s (TfL) marketing and engagement activities for the expansion and prior to the Central London ULEZ. The proportion of vehicles meeting the ULEZ standards in inner London increased from 39 per cent in 2017 to 87 per cent in the two weeks before the scheme launched and 92 per cent in the first month of operation. This demonstrates that the scheme has been successful in removing polluting vehicles from inner London.
TfL continues to monitor the impact of the expansion of the ULEZ to inner London, including on vehicle compliance and a report on the first six months will be published shortly including changes in emissions and longer-term pollution concentrations.

Impact of October's ULEZ Expansion

Keith Prince: What analysis has TfL done on how many Londoners have been negatively impacted by October’s ULEZ expansion?

The Mayor: Expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to inner London has seen a dramatic increase in the proportion of vehicles that meet the ULEZ standards in London, with compliance at 92 per cent in the first month compared to 39 per cent in 2017. Informing the public consultation and my decision to implement that scheme, TfL commissioned an independent Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) which specifically looked at the potential negative (as well as positive) impacts on Londoners and others, including an Equalities Impact Assessment. The IIA identified some potential negative impacts on low income workers, small businesses, users of community transport, and users of wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Directly in response to the findings of the IIA, I launched a scrappage scheme, which supported low income and disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities, and has been very popular. In addition, I extended grace periods for disabled and disabled passenger tax class vehicles and wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles and introduced a grace period for community transport minibuses, to address other potential negative impacts of the ULEZ expansion.

Reducing short car journeys

Emma Best: Can you confirm what work you are undertaking to understand the barriers to reducing short car journeys (i.e. multiple drop-offs before work on the school run) and how these are being addressed?

The Mayor: Analysis by Transport for London (TfL) has shown significant potential to reduce short car journeys: more than a third of car trips in London could be walked in under 25 minutes and two thirds cycled in under 20 minutes. However, this analysis also identified certain circumstances where this switch becomes less likely, for example in the trip chaining you mention, where more than one trip is made in the same ‘outing’. Regular TfL customer surveys further tell of the key barriers and help better target programmes to boost active travel.
As one example of initiatives to overcome active travel barriers, over 500 School Streets have been introduced across the capital in all but two boroughs since the start of the pandemic – 372 funded with support from myself and TfL. Having exceeded the target set in TfL’s 2018 Walking Action Plan to increase the proportion of walking trips made to primary schools to 57 per cent by 2024, I have now asked TfL to set a new stretch target of 60 per cent of primary children walking to school by 2026.

Building safety in Ealing

Onkar Sahota: Can you provide a breakdown of how many buildings in Ealing are now under a simultaneous evacuation policy due to: a) unsafe cladding, b) non-cladding concerns, c) both?

The Mayor: As of 14 February 2022, London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded 19 buildings in the borough of Ealing with a temporary suspension of ‘stay put’ where an interim simultaneous evacuation strategy has been put in place. The figures can change on a daily basis when interim measures are required, or a building is remediated and no longer requires the interim measures.
Of the 19, a) 13 were primarily because of cladding (6 due to ACM cladding and 7 due to other, non-ACM cladding issues), and b) 6 were primarily because of other fire safety defects.
LFB’s monitoring database records the reason premises have moved to simultaneous evacuation in case of fire. This is recorded according to the primary matter of fire safety concern at the premises. Further details are held on separate systems for operational response purposes which accords with national practice. For the London Borough of Ealing, cases where both unsafe cladding and other defects exist at the same time are not recorded as a separate category.

TfL Bus Stops and Driveways (2)

Len Duvall: What assessment has been made of whether bus stops that block driveways could be moved to minimise inconvenience?

The Mayor: There are 21,500 bus stops within the Greater London Authority area. The placement of bus stop cages, indicated by yellow markings on a highway, is agreed through consultation with multiple stakeholders, which can include local borough, police, and highways officers.
All effort is made to minimise any potential inconvenience to residents. However, in some cases it is not possible to meet all stakeholder expectations and a balanced option is taken forward. As set out in my answer to question 2022/1088, TfL officers will investigate any particular issues if you can provide specific detail.

TfL Bus Stops and Driveways (1)

Len Duvall: How many TfL bus stations are sited over driveways? Please provide a borough by borough breakdown.

The Mayor: There are 67 Transport for London (TfL) bus stations and stands within the Greater London Authority area as well as over 20,000 bus stops. Driveway data is not held by TfL, nor is this readily available. Therefore, I cannot provide abreakdown of any bus stations that may be sited over driveways.
When designing or locating bus stations, bus stands or bus stops, all efforts are made to limit any day-to-day impact to Londoners.If there is a particular TfL bus station or bus stop cage (the on-street bus stop markings) you are concerned about, please provide the specifics to TfL so that officers can investigate.

Camera footage

Nicholas Rogers: What is the process for the police to obtain ULEZ and Congestion Charge camera footage and for each year, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 how many applications were made by the Met and how many have been successful? What is the average time it takes to provide this footage when successful?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have real time access to data from all of the cameras installed by Transport for London (TfL) for the operation of the Congestion Charge and the central London ULEZ, which provides them with a data feed of every vehicle registration plate seen by the cameras. In the event that additional data is required, officers from the MPS (and officers from other police services) can complete a bespoke data protection request form, which is sent to TfL’s Data Disclosure Unit via a secure email address.
The below table shows the number of direct requests for additional data made by the MPS.
Calendar Year
Congestion Charging Requests
ULEZ Requests (Scheme Introduced in April 2019)
Outcome
2015
No Data Available
Not Applicable
Not Known
2016
29
Not Applicable
17 no data released / 10 data released / 2 not known
2017
19
Not Applicable
15 no data released / 3 data released / 1 not known
2018
11
Not Applicable
6 no data released / 3 data released / 2 not known
2019
27
0
13 no data released / 14 data released
2020
35
0
16 no data released / 18 data released / 1 not known
2021
42
1
13 no data released / 14 data released / 15 not known – ULEZ – 1 not known
There are no Service Level Agreements in place for Congestion Charging / ULEZ data requests. TfL requests its information from a third-party provider as they do not have direct access to the systems. The data requests can take less than 24 hours if there is no information available, however the process can take a number of days if there is information to be provided.

Driverless vehicles

Susan Hall: Page 15 of the Met’s Force Management Statement 2021 states that driverless vehicles could be utilised as weapons. What work is the Met doing to address this future challenge?

The Mayor: The Hostile Vehicle Mitigation Oversight Board, consisting of the Department for Transport, Homeland Security Group (Home Office), National Counter Terrorism Policing and partners, is continually reviewing the threat from vehicles being used as weapons.

Water requirement of the Silvertown Road Tunnel boring machine

Zack Polanski: The Energy and Carbon Statement for the Silvertown Road Tunnel only provided a rough figure of 52,500 cubic metres of expected water use. Could you provide the expected daily water demand for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and all associated plants when boring operations commence, and the total water demand for all boring operations?

The Mayor: The expected daily water demand for the TBM and associated operations is 260 cubic metres, with 48,000 cubic metres expected to be needed for all tunnel boring operations. Transport for London and its delivery partner, Riverlinx, are regularly reviewing options to ensure the construction impacts of the Silvertown Tunnel scheme are minimised. For example, Riverlinx are currently looking at potential opportunities for water reuse on site and possible grey water use.